Torch



Nov. 6, 1945.

w. J. JAcoBssoN AET AL TORCH Filed April 16, 1941 I shut-o valve.

Patented Nov. 6, 'i945 2,388,321 'roacn Wilgot J. Jacobsson, Plainiield,and Lloyd W.

Young, Scotch Plains, N.

J., assignors to Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation, a corporation ofNew York Application April 16; 1941, Serial No. 388,782.A

1 Claim. (Cl.

`and inexpensive in construction, to warrant its use with the simple andinexpensive torches of this type. The relatively high manufacturing costof prior quick-acting shut-off valve constructions in -blowtorches maybe attributed in large part to the accurate machining and com.. plicatedconstruction required for sealing the operating mechanisms against gasleakage. Not only has it been desirable to develop a simple andinexpensive quick-acting shut-off valve construction for air-acetylenetorches, but it has been almost imperative that such valves should bemade available for the revision of already existing air-acetylenetorches such, for example, as the torches shown in Patent No. 2,138,800Vissued November 29, 1938, to L. W. Young.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a torch witha simple and inexpensive, yet dependable and sturdy quick-acting Stillanother object is the provision of a quick-acting shut-off valveassembly which may be applied to existing torches.

The above and other objects, and the novel features of the invention,will become apparent from the following description having reference tothe annexed drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an air-acetylene torch embodyingthe principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation,of a part of the torch of Fig. l taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken approximately along the Iline 3-3of Fig. 2.

'I'he invention will be described hereinafter, by way of example only,as applied to an air-acetylene torch. It is to be understood, however,that the principles of the invention are applicable to other kinds oftorches using other gases, as well as to use independently of a torch.

Generally, a torch constructed according to the principles of theinvention comprises a front member F for conducting a combustible gasmixture. a quick-acting shut-01T valve assembly V engaging the rear endof the front member, and a rear handle member H engaging the rear end ofthe valve assembly, The front member F and the rear handle member H areboth independently separable from the valve assembly V and are adaptedto be operatively assembled together if it is desired to use the torchwithout a valve body.

Valve assembly V includes a hollow body having an opening extendingthrough the wall thereof to the 4outside of the body and an outwardlyfacing shoulder in the opening. A gas control valve device in the bodyhas a stem normally in one position but movable in opposite directins tooperate the device. A trigger which is located in the opening ispivotally mounted on the body on a xed axis and has an inner enddisposed inside the body in a position to push the valve stem in a.direction to operate the valve upon application of pressure to thetrigger. The trigger has a ange yportion in the opening and an aperturedsealing member of resilient material is disposed within the openingbetween and in contact with the flange portion and the outwardly facingshoulder. The sealing member has sealing surfaces sealingly engagingportions of the trigger and the wall of the opening, and acts, uponrelease of pressure from the trigger, to `restore the trigger to itsnormal position and thereby release the valve stem to its normalposition.

More specifically, the front member F comprises a combustible gasmixture conduit II having, for example, a goose-neck name-producing tipI2 at its forward end, and an externally threaded male 4mixer body I3 atits rear end within which is an acetylene injector (not shown) adaptedto discharge a stream of acetylene to aspirate air through the radialports I4. A sleeve I6, which is threaded over the mixer body I3 and hasa conical seating surface I1 abutting against the rounded rear end I5 ofthe mixer body, has a central passage I8 providing for access ofacetylene to the mixer .body I3.

, or ange 22 provided by the front end of the sleeve I6, is threadedover the forward end of the body member 24 of the valve V and urges therounded rear end 20 of the sleeve I6 against a conical seating `surface23 in the front of the valve body.

The valve body member 24 has a longitudinal passage 26 therethroughwithin which is removably threaded a valve unit 21 comprising a valve, avalve seat, and a valve spring urging the valve toward closed position.Valve units of the type ordinarily used in pneumatic tires may be usedadvantageously. A large diameter radial port 2l opens fromthe passage 23to the outside of the body member 24 intermediate its ends, and isprovided with an inwardly extending retaining shoulder 23 adjacent toits inner end. A discshaped member 3|, of rubber or like resilientdeformable material, fits snugly within theport 23 and rests upon theretaining shoulder 23, A cylindrical trigger 32 has a reduced diameterspindle 33 fitting snugly within and passing through a central hole inthe member 3| for operating the valve unit 21. The spindle 33 has asmall conical recess 35 adjacent to its inner end, within which the headof the valve stem 34 of the valve unit 21 is engaged. Immediately abovethe rubber member 3|, the trigger 32 comprises a large diameter annularflange 36 which bears upon the upper surface of the rubber member. Alateral bore 31 through the flange 33 loosely carries a pivot pin 38which is secured at its ends within the lateral bores 33 and 4I in thebody v 24 on opposite sides of the port 28, as by peening, and providesa iixed center about which the trigger 32 may oscillate. By thisconstruction, the trigger 32 is pivoted on the pin 33 for rocking motionin a plane through the longitudinal aixs of the valve body 24, wherebythe valve stem 34 may be actuated. A fluid-tight seal between thepassage 26 and the atmosphere is provided by the rubber member 3|, whichis firmly wedged between the trigger 32 and the body 24 within the port28. Moreover, actuation of the trigger 32 to open the valve 21 isopposed by the natural resiliency of the rubber member 3| so that, whenpressure is relaxed from the trigger member, the rubber tends to restorethe trigger to a neutral position such that the valve 21 is restored toits normally closed position,

A thumb lever 42 having a. bore 43 is fitted over a boss 44 on the topof the trigger 32 and is welded or otherwise secured thereto. The lever42 extends forwardly from the trigger 32 and adjacent to its forward endengages the top of a vertical spring 46 in a well 41 in the body member24, which spring urges the lever and the trigger to a neutral positionsuch that the valve 21 is maintained in normally closed position exceptwhen an operator depresses the lever.

The rear end of the valve body 24 comprises an externally threadednipple 48 engaged within the internally threaded female portion orsocket 43 of a long hollow handle bushing 53. In order to provide agas-tight seal, the rear end of the nipple It is desirable that, whenthe torch is not being used continuously, a small pilot flame bemaintained at the front of the torch so that, when the lever 42 isdepressed by the operator, he will obtain a flame of the proper size andintensity instantaneously. For this purpose, the valve body 24 isprovided with a small longitudinal passage 53 extending from the rearend of the valve body to a point ahead of the valve 21 where it isconnected into the longitudinal passage 26 through a valve chamber 54and a short duct 55. 'I'he quantity of gas by-passed through the passage53 may be controlled by a small needle valve 58 in the valve chamber 54,which compresses an annular gasket 51 against the valve body to providea seal.

When it is desired to use the torch without the quick-acting shut-oilvalve assembly V, the handle H may be unscrewed from the nipple 48, thecoupling nut I3 may be unscrewed from the front of the body 24, and thesleeve I3 may be unscrewed from the mixer body I3. Thereafter, the malemixer body I3 may be threaded into the socket 43 at the front of thehandle H to provide 48 is rounded and abuts against a conical seatingsurface 45 in the socket 49.

In operation, acetylene is supplied to the bushing 50 through an inlet52 at the rear end of the handle H and, when the lever 42 is depressed,the valve 21 opens, permitting acetylene to pass freely forward throughthe passage 26 and the a complete and operable air-acetylene torch ofthe usual type. Y

Another advantage of the simple connections described in connection withFigs. 1 to 3 is that the goose-neck tip I2 may be turned about thelongitudinal axis of the torch to any desired position with respect tothe valve body V simply by loosening the coupling nut I3 slightly fromthe sleeve I6, turning the conduit II and tip I2 to the desiredposition, and again tightening the coupling nut I3 to produce a.gas-tight seal.

'I'he foregoing description has been by way of example only and it is tobe understood that modifications of the construction specificallydescribed may be made within the scope of the invention as defined bythe claim appended hereto.

What is claimed is: l

A hollow body having an opening extending through the wall thereof tothe outside of said body, and an outwardly facing shoulder in saidopening; a control device in said body having a stem normally in oneposition but movable in opposite directions to operate said device; atrigger in said opening pivotally mounted on said body on a iixed axis,said trigger having an inner end disposed inside said body in a positionto `'push said stem in a direction to operate `said device uponapplication of pressure to said trigger, said trigger having a flangeportion in said opening; and an apertured sealing member of resilientmaterial within said opening, between and in contact with said angeportion and said shoulder, said sealing member having sealing surfacessealingly engaging portions of said trigger and the wall of saidopening, said Vsealing member acting, upon release of pressure from saidtrigger, to restore said trigger to its normal position and therebyrelease said stem to its normal position.

. WILGOT J. JACOBSSON. LLOYD W. YOUNG.

